Retail Shoppers Return On First Day Stores Are Reopened For Business

Many of Ohio’s retail stores that had been closed for the past few weeks opened today. There was a light yet steady stream of shoppers inside a Columbus area book store.

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Columbus resident Amy Besong wore a mask as she and her small children shopped at a Half Price Books. She says the libraries are closed and the kids needed some new books.

“We’ve shopped a little bit online but sometimes the prices are more and shipping times are a little bit long for us for some of the places we’ve ordered from," Besong says.

Most customers were wearing masks – though the state isn’t requiring them for customers - and the store had markings on the floor and one-way lanes to keep customers properly spaced. Hair and nail salons, tattoo, piercing and massage facilities are set to open Friday, as well as outdoor dining at restaurants.

Republicans in the Ohio House have approved a bill that would limit the power and length of public health orders on coronavirus that their fellow Republican, Gov. Mike DeWine, has been issuing through Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton. The bill reflects a split in the GOP on how to restart the economy that could carry over into the future.

Manufacturing, construction and distribution companies can reopen today, with employees wearing masks and observing cleaning and social distancing rules. State lawmakers are also coming back to work this week, and one has proposed a bill to open the state immediately while shutting down the authority of the governor and his health director.